Ibiza right now.

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fair point but is there anywhere in the world that has the same atmosphere as usual? just spoke to some italian ladies here in formentera and they said even if clubbing in italy is a go, they're far from 'normal'
I’m not talking about clubbing - none of the shops in old town are playing music, at all - just had dinner in La Bodega, and it was silent all around.

It’s weird - the energy is not there, and it just feels flat.

We have the opportunity to stay until the end of August, with accommodation possibly largely free, and we are wondering whether it’s worth it.

My main issue is the value / ROI - everything is still expensive, and you can get anything you can currently get in Ibiza elsewhere, like Greece or Croatia, for far less money.

We are working on getting a boat and doing formentera so will see how we feel after that.
 
Here's my longer review.

This was our sixth time in Ibiza and all previous times the week was pretty much scheduled and planned with parties and restaurants. We knew this year was gonna be different, but maybe it has changed my entire perspective on the best place of the world. Go with the flow...the plan is there is no plan...I've heard these mantras from other ibiza lovers and locals on the island many times but this turned out to be more true than ever this year.

We arrived on a Friday late at night but decided to see some friends that were in Playa den Bossa. Had a drink at Nassau and when it closed at 2 am we just kept talking about life on the balcony and ended up watching the sunrise. I don't think we would usually do that on a first night, because if you have plans for saturdaynight or the following nights you might wanna save up some powers. But this time we really didn't care and just did what felt good at that moment. As for Playa den Bossa...it's pretty quiet and after 02.00 am people end up drunk on the street until the Guardia Civil comes to send them home. About the GC...expect to see A LOT of them this year. We've seen them everywhere with road blocks, spike strips, traffic stops and just patrolling the streets. Some locals told me there's been a big group of GC students coming in and personnel from Mallorca.

Saturday we chilled...we always stay in a great place in the north, St. Agnes...and after properly waking up we decided to go to the San Jordi and Las Dalias markets. Wearing face masks there is really hot so be prepared for that. Had a lunch at Bar San Fransisco on the road to Las Salinas. You'll notice that people enter bars and restaurants wearing the masks but once you are seated you can take them off. Dinner at Ses Boques in Es Cubbels that night and went to bed around midnight. Off course that felt a bit weird...you're just lying in bed thinking, it's Saturday night in Ibiza and we're going to sleep? :) But we woke up really fresh on Sunday and had the most amazing lunch at La Paloma and went driving around the island without a clear goal in mind. Did some sightseeing, visited one of the towers and the Time & Space Monument. Not being hangover from partying and substances makes exploring the island much more enjoyable, even in the July heat. We went on a winter trip in march last year, but now we had way more time to do it.

Sunday we wanted to go to Las Dalias for the Los Suruba seated event, but ended up with newly made friends at Experimental Beach. A guy at our B&B was supposed to Dj there but the volume was so low you couldn't even hear the music. Really weird considering the location of Experimental..but okay. We had a nice evening again. The next day we ended up in San Antonio, had a great cheap diner at Golden Buddha and walked the promenade. Most people wear their facemasks on the promenade until they end up on one of the terraces. Mambo, Cafe Del Mar both really quiet...low volume and what seemed to be half capacity. Cafe Del Mar was not using the new terrace. While some places like Enigma are really pushing their instagram game and saying it's the place to be, even showing vids of people dancing...don't get fooled, we walked past the place twice and their was no dancing and approx 10 people on the terrace. Only places that are really looking crowded are Linekers, Plastik, Wiki Woo, but like everywhere else...all seated at tables.

We went to Sa Trinxa the next day, nice as always. Music was good, the volume is high enough to hear if you are on the beach and it was pretty crowded there. As you all know by now, no facemasks on the beach. Dinner at La Bodega in Talamanca and went for some drinks in Ibiza Town. Ibiza Town is probably the only place that looks lively as normal. No big yachts in the harbour though.

On Wednesday we went to Punta Arabi and later to Cala Nova, had some lunch at L'Amorigen and chilled on the beach. Went to Namaste at Las Dalias in the evening and had an amazing time. When the Dj, Gaya Brisa, started playing some house music most people just couldn’t stay seated anymore. At all the tables people stood up cheering and dancing (yeah including me @craig72 ? ) You could see there was some anxiety with the crew but they let it happen for about 45 mins. They did walk around and checked if you were dancing at your own table. After the 45 mins they forced the volume down and the dancing stopped. I cannot explain the energy and emotion that was felt by the audience in that short moment. It was a moment the whole crowd havent felt in a long time and it was a very special moment.

On Thursday we went to Pikes to pick up the newly published Pikes Cocktail Book. Always nice to spent a short time there. We drove to Cala Jondal, had an amazing Paella at Tropicana and spent some time on fairly priced sunbeds there. Nice place. The sunset that night was magical, we were on the rocks in front of Hostal La Torre and the sky turned orange/purple and the new moon was visible too. Some drinks at Can Tixedo with a friend that lives on the island and a relatively early bed again. Our last day was just chilling at the pool and lunch and dinner at local places in St Agnes.

So to summarize the whole feeling of this trip...
We just improvised every day and that felt amazing. No clubbing schedule, no reservations (except for Las Dalias) and no hangovers.
Facemasks are doable, except for the hippie markets…it’s just really hot at those places. Social distancing isn’t really a thing anywhere…people are really laidback, it still feels very much like Ibiza. Hardly any traffic jams, enough space on the beaches and in the ocean.
The sunsets, the beaches, the amazing food, making new friends and discovering new places are not cancelled. I would strongly advise anyone that is able to travel to the island..to just do it! I think it has changed my way of doing Ibiza forever. Off course…if there is clubbing next year, we will be clubbing. But I’m not planning my Ibiza trip from day to day anymore like I did in previous years. The go with the flow method feels so much better. You will encounter some places fully booked because they need to operate on half capacity but that gives you the chance to try out some other places. And if you really want to eat at your favorite place, they are doing their best to make booking easier than ever with WhatsApp or Instagram Direct Messaging. We still have a September trip booked and if everything (our jobs and income, the regulations, the virus etc) stays the way it is...we are going again.

Closing words: Ibiza is Ibiza...even without clubbing and with some adjustments.

Just to add another thing about the GC this year, was coming back from Salinas in a taxi on Sunday and saw two GC on foot pulling over mopeds bang on the roundabout, poor lad I saw hardly had any time to stop before his passenger got batoned across the back nearly bringing down the moped. Saw them pull over straight away after that whilst the GC was trying to recover his baton from the middle of the carriageway. Be interested to see his fictitious report about what actually happened
 
Just to add another thing about the GC this year, was coming back from Salinas in a taxi on Sunday and saw two GC on foot pulling over mopeds bang on the roundabout, poor lad I saw hardly had any time to stop before his passenger got batoned across the back nearly bringing down the moped. Saw them pull over straight away after that whilst the GC was trying to recover his baton from the middle of the carriageway. Be interested to see his fictitious report about what actually happened

This is a quote from a post you made in the Tell us How it Was thread:
Top tip: avoid the GC at all costs this year. Young, bored, inexperienced cops, with little oversight and a quiet island is not a good formula

This is my experience too. They have upped the amount of GC while there's not much for them to do. They are doing traffic stops everywhere and the approach is more aggressive than ever in my experience. I never drink/drugs and drive...so I never felt any anxiety when they approached me but I advise everyone to avoid them indeed.
 
I’m not talking about clubbing - none of the shops in old town are playing music, at all - just had dinner in La Bodega, and it was silent all around.

It’s weird - the energy is not there, and it just feels flat.

We have the opportunity to stay until the end of August, with accommodation possibly largely free, and we are wondering whether it’s worth it.

My main issue is the value / ROI - everything is still expensive, and you can get anything you can currently get in Ibiza elsewhere, like Greece or Croatia, for far less money.

We are working on getting a boat and doing formentera so will see how we feel after that.
Interesting to hear this, first really negative report I've heard....I think you are right though to be honest, if it's just a bit of sun and rest you want, there are far cheaper places....
 
Interesting to hear this, first really negative report I've heard....I think you are right though to be honest, if it's just a bit of sun and rest you want, there are far cheaper places....

he's actually confirming something I've been saying for years. without the clubbers and the colourfulness of that scene, ibiza misses its spark. the atmosphere is very quiet exactly because of that. I still think it's beautiful here - in a way more than in other years, but there's no doubt that the spark is missing - I said that two weeks ago when I said ibiza is like a shark without teeth this year.

and yes, if you take the clubbing offer away and the special kind of people it brings, I agree there are cheaper places to go just for a bit of sun and beach. it's what the government doesn't get.
 
he's actually confirming something I've been saying for years. without the clubbers and the colourfulness of that scene, ibiza misses its spark. the atmosphere is very quiet exactly because of that. I still think it's beautiful here - in a way more than in other years, but there's no doubt that the spark is missing - I said that two weeks ago when I said ibiza is like a shark without teeth this year.

and yes, if you take the clubbing offer away and the special kind of people it brings, I agree there are cheaper places to go just for a bit of sun and beach. it's what the government doesn't get.
I think you are still going to get the dedicated people (like us on this forum) who will try and come no matter what....but so many obstacles are being put in the way. I don't understand why the music has to be played quietly everywhere....it doesn't make sense
 
If clubs were to remain shut next year also the new generation of tourists will start to latch on to other places I feel, for sure it will be a strange transaction period for the island but I have no doubt that the island will adapt and its that short of a flight and that stunning that there will always be major tourism, I really pray at this stage that they start to realise just how much of a key factor the clubs are to the island too much time in the dark definitely shines light on other options .be interesting to see if BPM goes ahead because between that and Lost and found that could open the door for Malta because that too is very appealing price wise and the capital Valleta is very bonny it has all the right factors to become the next party island
 
is there much music in the bars in the old town? would be useful to get an update on Malanga, Paradise Lost and others

that Pippi clip I shared last night suggests it isn't completely a music-free zone
 
is there much music in the bars in the old town? would be useful to get an update on Malanga, Paradise Lost and others

that Pippi clip I shared last night suggests it isn't completely a music-free zone

I'm heading out from Dublin tomorrow and that's exactly what I'm wondering. Will be at Las Dalias once or twice which should be good but am wondering if there are any bars in the old town where you can park yourself at a table outside, order drinks and the music is loud enough. Any reports on Malanga at the moment?
 
is there much music in the bars in the old town? would be useful to get an update on Malanga, Paradise Lost and others

that Pippi clip I shared last night suggests it isn't completely a music-free zone
I did not check out those places specifically...but the music volume is low pretty much everywhere, also in old town.
 
I have 4 weeks off and she suggested that I should go somewhere for a week , down to a mate living in Dingle or to Co Cork to another friend..... We have plans for last two weeks in August here ourselves...
 
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